Getting Stronger By Marrying And Investing In Abandoned Villainesses

Theo stared in surprise at how the lady could tell, then chuckled like a naughty boy that was caught being naughty.

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I did on the bus."

She said it with a polite bow, hands folded at her waist, the strap of the canvas bag still over one shoulder.

Theo stepped aside and invited her in.

"Please come in."

She came in. She did not comment on the house, which almost everyone did, and she did not comment on the lake, which was doing its gold thing in the late afternoon all the way out to the far trees.

She put her bag down inside the door, took her coat off, hung it on the hook that Theo had put up the previous evening in the exact spot she used, and then she sat on the single seat of the parlor. Her back did not touch the cushion. Her knees stayed together and her feet stayed flat. She sat like a woman who had spent a lot of years in rooms where the furniture was not meant for resting in.

She glanced at the two of them and hesitantly said:

"I was told you had three wives, sir."

Theo pointed downwards.

"Yes, the third is in the sub level. Do you perhaps have knowledge in taking care of the sick."

"I practiced medicine before I awakened and decided to head to the tower."

Theo’s mouth opened faintly.

’Oh wow.’

"Can you kindly show me to them?"

Theo gulped and glanced at both of his wives, almost seeking approval, but Estea had nothing on her face at all, so he took her down to the basement.

She read the chart. She read the array log, running one finger down the column of hourly figures without hurrying any of it. She asked Nischov two questions that made him sit up, and then a third one that made him take his glasses off and hold them in his hand while he answered, and when she left the room she knew more about the machine than Theo had learned in six weeks.

With Estea she was in and out in four minutes.

"Do you want help or do you want equipment," she said.

Estea, who had been braced for gentleness, blinked.

"Equipment."

"Then you’ll have equipment and I’ll stay out of your way, and when you want a hand you’ll say so, and I won’t ask you twice." Odette looked at the chair, and then at the doorframes, and then down the length of the corridor, measuring the width of the one against the width of the other. "This house was set up by somebody who thought about it. Was that you?"

"It was him."

"Hm."

Odette nodded gently as she wrote something down.

With Sesan she did the thing that decided it.

She came into the room where Sesan was sitting on the window seat with her knees drawn up, and she did not speak to her, and she did not crouch down to her level and use a soft voice, which is what everyone did, which was why Sesan hated everyone.

She sat down on the other end of the window seat, far enough along it that a whole stretch of cushion lay between them. She got a pair of knitting needles and a ball of grey wool out of her bag. And she knitted, and looked out of the window at the lake, for eleven minutes, without saying one word. The needles went on with their small dry clicking, and nothing else in the room made any sound at all.

When she got up to leave, Sesan turned her head and watched her go.

After she was done with the whole thing, she returned to the parlor, where Theo had been sitting the entire time, watching her and evaluating her.

She came back, and stood. Theo was silent for a while.

’I guess women do these things better after all.’

After a moment, he frowned.

’No, they’re my wives, not hers, I must take this as a challenge and even do better!’

Theo inhaled and exhaled, and still he could not deny the fact that he felt relieved, watching Odette take care of his wives. He suspected that she would be able to truly care for them and give them what they needed in the moment. The small things, the ones that came up at two in the morning and did not wait for him to be in the building.

He didn’t plan to be absent in their lives. His priority was just about to shift to Thall.

And having Odette around would help a bunch.

He faced her and asked.

"So how much are you willing to receive, is it fine if I pay weekly?"

She bowed gently.

"I will draft a proper contract with the payment offer and details." She smiled. "You don’t need to pay me for today, I enjoyed caring for them."

Theo was silent for a bit. Then he smiled subtly and looked like he wanted to say something but also wasn’t sure it was a great idea. He ran his thumb along the seam of his trousers, opened his mouth, and closed it again.

It was when Odette caught the look on his face that she spoke.

"Is there something you wish to ask me, Mr Theo."

Theo sighed.

"Actually, I wanted to ask if you have any ties with the Elevation Agency, or any agency?"

"Are you trying to dig where my loyalty lies?"

Theo chuckled.

"Somewhat..."

The lady, with that almost unreadable expression about her, went silent for a couple of minutes. It ran long enough to be discomforting, long enough for Theo to hear the water shifting under the porch boards and a bird going over the roof, before she eventually spoke.

"I used to be one of the top potentials for the Association before I decided to start climbing the Tower. My ascent was quite long but also in hindsight short. I am being paid pension by the Hero Association but do not owe them anything right now. If at all, they owe me."

She looked at Theo.

"Is that a good enough answer."

Theo smiled and nodded, then he stretched his hand out to her.

"Thank you very much Odette, I look forward to working with you."

The woman took his hand, and smiled. Her grip was dry and brief and stronger than her wrists suggested.

"I look forward to working with you too."

It was at that point that something strange happened.

[Genesis Eyes has found Potential Investment]

[Investment Potential: ...]

[Investment Potential: ...]

[Recalculating]

[Investment Potential: EXCEPTIONAL]

[Do you want to indulge in this investment]

Theo stared for a moment. He didn’t need to think twice. Seeing the panel had already given him some kind of repulsion, and it was sitting there over her shoulder while her hand was still in his, while she was still smiling at him, while the wool and the needles were still in the bag by the door.

’Oh hell no...’

[You have turned down Potential Investment]

[You have received Exceptional Rewards]